Demon's Claim: Book 1 of the Demon Trilogy
by FooFoo901
Summary: A new apprentice falls into a pit no-cat can escape from, and it is a life-sentence. At first her clanmates try to help her out, but soon they stop trying, and very slowly they turn from helpful to hateful. M for pranoid. No cussing or lemons, but lots of death.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary.**

A new apprentice falls into a pit no-cat can escape from, and it is a life-sentence. At first her clanmates try to help her out, but soon they stop trying, and very slowly they turn from helpful to hateful. An apprentice grows twisted as the clan around her treats her less like a cat and more like a creature.

In this short story, Wolfpaw experiences what no cat should, and it turns her into a monster she never dreamed possible. It turns her into the pit-beast, and then later, the demon.

This was written in about three days, and mostly when I was super tired. Ifp arts don't make sense, sorry!

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**Chapter 1: Watch Out!**

"Wolfpaw, wanna go hunting?"

A pure black she-cat looked up at her clan mate and fellow apprentice with yellow eyes. "Of course I want to go hunting, Grasspaw!" She chuckled and followed the tom out of camp.

Grasspaw was a speedy tom with a yellow tabby coat and green eyes. Wolfpaw had a more sturdy build than her lean and skinny friend.

As they raced deeper into FeatherClan territory they giggled and joked, but Grasspaw slowly pulled ahead of her. She grunted and added an extra burst of speed while yelling, "First one to the old oak wins!" She pulled ahead.

They raced neck and neck for a few minutes, but she put on an inch of more speed and let out a gleeful woop. She was going to win! That was the last thing on her mind, that and when her friend shrieked out an a terrified voice, "Watch out, Wolfpaw!" Blackness overcame her along with a falling sensation.

She woke up with a bad headache and feeling rotten. Her left side hurt and the sun glaring into her eyes bothered her. Why was it glaring so anyway? Was their a hole in the green apprentice's den roof? Thinking of that, she didn't remember going to sleep…

Murmuring reached her and memories came rushing back. She had fallen into the pit, the pit that no cat could ever leave. Many who had fallen in had done suicide, actually all who had fallen in had done it. What a saddening thought considering she had just fallen into it!

"Wait, she is moving I think! Wolfpaw, are you ok?" A voice spoke from above.

She looked above, and on the rocky edge stood Grasspaw, the leader herself, Rockstar, Shockstike the deputy, and Turtlepattern the medicine cat with her apprentice Freezepaw.

She looked up and meowed, "Well, I have a horrible headache."

Turtlepatteren spoke. "You are simply dehydrated dear, look behind you, a tiny steam! Go drink from it." He ordered. He also reached behind him and dropped something into the pit. "Those are some herbs, Freezepaw can tell you what to do with them."

The she-cat took over and stepped up confidently. "Open the bundle after you get a drink. Grasspaw mentioned you hitting your head, which caused you to pass out, but we fear it might have bruised your brain a bit." She went on to explain which herb was which, what they did, and where to apply what herb to where and eat which one. It got quite confusing for Wolfpaw, but she managed to keep up. She even made an effort to memorize it, just incase.

More cats came over, trying to figure out what to do while she simply sat there, letting the herbs take over and heal her. Her whole family came over and wept for her, while Grasspaw sniffled nearby. A lot of cats looked for possible exits or ways to get her out, but the rock face had no openings for a cat to escape from. She was stuck.

As the sun began to set Rockstar finally commanded everyone to go home. She dropped two mice in the pit and spoke to Wolfpaw alone.

"Now, I know the situation seems bleak, but FeatherClan is behind you, and we will find a way to get you out!" She promised. "Just sit tight and heal from those nasty bruises. Try to find a place to sleep in there also. I am going to send some moss down before I go, ok?" She meowed.

"Ok." Wolfpaw meowed up.

After sending some moss down, Wolfpaw found a suitable den for herself. It was a crack in the stone wall. It easily sheltered her from all sorts of weather, and it was on the higher area of the pit so it was less likely to flood. She made a moss nest and tried to fall asleep.

Wolfpaw soon found that sleep would be hard to come by. It was very scary sleeping out there, all alone with no clan mates to help and protect her. She was in the pit, trapped by the rock walls. If a big scary predator slid in, she was dead. That was unlikely though, the predator would be stuck too.

The slightest noise yanked her from her path to sleeping, and every hoot of an owl reminded her of stupid nursery tails of owls coming to get a lone kit. She wasn't a tiny kit anymore, she scolded herself. Finally, she managed to drift off to sleep.

"Wolfpaw, are you down there?" A voice meowed.

She yawned and scrambled up. "Hold on!" She replied and walked out. "I am still here, where else could I go?"

It was her sister Sparrowpaw. "Oh good, you look fine!" She meowed and let a few things tumble down. "I got you some supplies. The softest moss I could find, a big fat mouse, and some herbs from the medicine cat incase your headache returns."

She looked at the herb from yesterday and remembered what to do, its name, and everything it did. "Thanks, sister!" She purred. "Would you uh, mind staying here for a while, just to talk you know? I had a hard time going to sleep last night because I was so alone."

Sparrowpaw gave her a sympathetic look. "Of course. Wanna hear how the clan reacted to your fall?"

Wolfpaw nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, especially poor Talonstrike, he is my favorite elder."

Sparrowpaw nodded. "Oh yes, he was simply devastated, even said you were the only one who could properly change the bedding." Wolfpaw couldn't help but chuckle at that as her sister went on. "The clan murmured about rolling some death berries down here, because, you know." She whimpered.

She did know, every cat to fall down there had killed themselves. They had been unable to cope with the reality, no escape. Only one or two had not killed themselves, and they had eventually died around early elder stages. Her future was bleak, but she would not kill herself! "You don't have to worry, sister." She meowed. "I will pray to StarClan every night for my release from here, and not through death."

Her sister gave a grave grin and continued to explain what happened. Grasspaw blamed himself for not pushing her away, or warning her soon enough, the family was grieving, and everyone was trying to find a way to free her, but no one knew how to. Her sister promised that they would keep trying to, and devote a lot of effort to freeing her.

"No." Wolfpaw said sharply. "I am one apprentice, not even a warrior. I thank the clan really, I truly do." She meowed quickly. "Thing is, I am simply not worth the effort." She knew with her own words she was possibly sealing her fate, but went on bravely. "I want you to continue for one moon, but if you don't find a way to free me by then, I want you to stop and continue with clan life."

"What! Not important? No, you are so important, you are my sister!" Sparrowpaw cried down.

"I know I am important to you, but in the long run, I am a simple apprentice. Please relay my request to the clan. I can't have my future consume them."

"Ok sister, as you ask." She meowed, her eyes filled with awe. "I just don't know how someone can make such a sacrifice, their future." She trotted off.

Around sun high she returned with the leader and deputy.

Rockstar peered in and dropped a mouse in. "You can eat while we talk." She meowed.

Feeling a little guilty, and kind of humiliated that her clanmates kept dropping things in there like she was a kittypet who needed everything handed to her, she nodded. "Thankyou."

"You're welcome, now on to business. Are you sure you want us to stop after a moon? We can keep going, have a few key cats continue to look for ways out." Rockstar insisted.

"I remember the elder stories. One time two other cats even fell in! I will be fine." Wolfpaw meowed.

Shockstrike snorted. "Rockstar, she is an apprentice with a bruised head, we shouldn't listen to her."

"It is her life, her choice, if she changes her mind she can simply tell us." The leader reasoned, then looked back at Wolfpaw. "How rude of us, talking about you as if you weren't there." She shook her head ruefully. "If you change your mind, do tell us, please." She meowed.

"Of course!" Wolfpaw promised.

After that the day went by at a surprising pace. She spent the rest of it thinking of ways to entertain herself during what would be a long week, maybe a whole moon. Wolfpaw also cleaned up around the pit, which was twice as big as the camp, but more rocky and less sheltry, save for the crack she lived in, She found a few mouse skulls which told her that prey did go down there, and it was not from the last cat stuck down there. He hadn't even waited an hour before gobbling down a death berry. There was a slight moss growth in the more shadowy part of the pit so her clanmates didn't have to always bring her bedding, and then there was that stream she could drink from.

Oh goody, her prison came with supplies.

After she had explored her surroundings thoroughly she spent the rest of the day practicing battle moves. It left her tired, sweaty, but feeling good. She could work out while she waited for her clanmates to rescue her. Or fail her.

A week of that passed and each day her sister visited her Each day Wolfpaw grew stronger, and suggested that the medicine cat teach her some herbs to keep her mind occupied. Both cats agreed readily, anything to help poor, lonely, Wolfpaw.

On the seventh day it began to rain, and soon a downpour began.

"I would really love to stay and chat sister," Hawkpaw her brother roared over the rain, "But if I don't take shelter I might become sick! You too!"

"It's fine! Go back to camp brother, I am feeling cold myself!" She said and fled to her crack.

After cleaning out the rubble her crack had doubled in size and she easily shook her pelt clean and huddled in her bed, which was at the back of her den. Then the depression hit her like a boulder. She wanted to go home!

She sniffled a little bit, but refused to cry. No fair, it was not fair! Why did she have to stay in this stupid, dirty, drafty cave, while her clanmates lived the good life? Her "den" was rocky, hard, and cold. On warm days the ground burned her pads, and on cold days she knew it would be just as bad. Not fair, she wanted to cry.

She was not a kit though, and refused to let the tears leak from her eyes. She buried her nose under her paw and drifted to sleep in the rainy green-leaf day. She had to stay brave!

In her dreams all the cats who had gotten stuck in the pit wailed with her, it was not fair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Twinge**

Two weeks passed and every plan they came up with failed. She also noticed her brother and sister skipped three days, but that didn't bother her too much. They couldn't be expected to visit her every day, right? They had lives. Besides, Grasspaw came on the days they were not there.

Each day she practiced memorizing the herbs she had been given, solving complex situations she came up with, and battle moves. Every other day her mentor, Snowswirl, would visit and teach her new things. Because Wolfpaw only had to hunt for herself, and she was able to get a steady supply of mice down there, she had the rest of the day to perfect them.

It rained two more times, and each time she found herself devastated, but chalked it down to the fact that those visiting her had to leave early, and did not return.

One day the leader dropped by for a visit.

"Hello Wolfpaw." She called down to the apprentice who was studying the herbs she now had memorized to heart.

"Oh, hi Rockstar!" She greeted her leader cheerfully.

Rockstar purred. "It is so nice to see you so happy and cheerful, do you need anything? You know we can hunt for you."

Wolfpaw snorted. "Thanks, but no. Hunting is one of the few things to keep me occupied. There is something that you could do though, please tell the medicine cat I am ready to learn some more herbs."

"Of course dear, and um. Have you been keeping track of the days?" Rockstar suddenly became awkward, and Wolfpaw knew why.

"I have." She admitted. "I claw each day down in the little dirt that is here."

"Yes, in a few days it shall be one moon. You can still change your mind, you know."

"I know, but I won't!" Wolfpaw meowed in a shaky voice. "Please don't try to change my mind. If some cat randomly comes up with an idea, great, but I can't have the clan distracted!" She looked down.

The leader closed her eyes and meowed, "You are a brave cat. Not many would do this, but you are also right. We can not have the clan distracted on you, any other requests before I go?"

"I would like for my friends and mentor to keep visiting me so I don't get lonely." She meowed.

"Of course, now good bye!" She left quickly.

She watched her leave and hated the tide of disappointment that now flooded her. She knew they would fail, though every night she prayed to StarClan they wouldn't. Now she was down there alone. Something burned her sadness away though, and it was a fiery ball of rage, and she had no idea where it came from.

Two moons passed, and Wolfpaw began to notice tiny changes that slowly happened over time. Her family, friends, and even mentor, began to lessen their visiting days. Soon she was going three whole days without interacting with a cat. It seemed that the cats who visited her also were becoming distant, or sometimes short with her when she asked a lot of questions. They were slowly going from joyful to to bored. Almost like visiting Wolfpaw was a chore.

Once each moon Rockstar would stop by to ask her if she had changed her mind, she would say no, and the leader would leave with a few requests from her, which usually went along the lines of learning something new. The medicine cat had run out of herbs and things to teach her, and her mentor was skipping days.

One day, on her fourth day alone, much to her annoyance, she was running around the pit in order to stay in shape. She was feeling unusually restless that day too, and had not stop after her usual fifth lap for the morning.

That was when a snide voice spoke. "Wow, you are right, she stays in their like a pet that the whole clan is burdened with."

She stopped short and glared up. "I am no pet, I hunt for myself, get my own moss, and drink from a stream that is in here!" She growled. Something twitched within her, the fury that began at the end of her first moon. She had easily pushed it down, and did it once more.

The second cat spoke. "Really?" He did not sound mean, unlike the girl, but merely curious.

Suddenly, her fur bristled, she did not know these cats! "Who are you two anyway?" She snapped.

"Oh, oh!" The male jumped up and announced proudly. "I am Stormpaw, newly made apprentice of FeatherClan! You are Wolfpaw, but we know that. The elders are still droning on about the "brave" apprentice who refuses to let herself be a burden on the clan." He glared slightly at his sister. "She is no burden."

She shrugged. "I am Softpaw. A free apprentice of FeatherClan. Me and my brother are newly made apprentices, both of us six moons of age."

Softpaw had a long wavy white coat that had a creamy tint and blue eyes. Her brother had an orange tabby coat and blue eyes, both were pretty small considering their ages.

"Well, tiny apprentices, I am not a burden. I simply want cats to visit and chat with me, and not be snobs in the process." She glared at Softpaw also. "I consider myself free too," She lied, "I have the choice to live, or I can kill myself. I am free to live though!" She grinned halfheartedly.

"Whatever. Pet." Softpaw sneered and left.

Hurt, her ears went back and she bared her teeth. "At least I'm not a beast!" She called after the mean apprentice.

Stormpaw looked down sadly. "Please, pay my sister no heed, she is simply jealous of you."

"Jealous!" I screech, my anger threatening to erupt. "You should explain her, jealousy." I spat.

He looked at her scared. "She is jealous that you are getting more attention than her! That is all, I swear!" He meowed.

She huffed. "I doubt it, cats barely make the time to visit me nowadays." Wolfpaw complained. "You should just leave." She grumbled and walked back into her cave to wrangle in her anger.

The anger confused her, she thought she had it under control. Why did it insist on cropping up and ruining what little joy she could get? Annoyed her began to clean her pelt, and realized with a jolt it was a lot dirtier than she remembered. When was the last time she had clean it? Shrugging she continued to get out all the burrs and dirt. No wonder the sleek Softpaw had sneered at her, she was dirty.

After a good cleaning she walked back outside to get a drink, and spotted her mentor waiting for her.

"Oh, hi Snowswirl!" She meowed joyfully.

"Hi." Snowswirl scratched her ear. "Lets get this over with, ok?" She asked. Her voice wasn't rude, but more of a rushed sound.

She coughed slightly. "Um, ok. What will you be teaching me today?" She looked up happily.

"Well, when you got trapped you had already done three moons of training, so you are almost warriors age, and I admit, I have run out of things to teach you. I am going to try to asses you today. Show me a group of complex moves." She ordered.

"Gladly" Wolfpaw smirked and showed off a roll, slash, and jump. She continued to show off until her mentor ordered her to stop.

"Yeah, that is good. You passed, how many mice could you catch down there?" She meowed and looked off at the distance.

She thought for a bit, then answered. "Five without depleting how many come down here."

"Huh? Oh, awesome! Catch that many." She ordered.

"Did you even hear how many I told you?" She snapped without warning. A twinge of anger happened once more.

She was too late though, her mentor was off and calling over her shoulder, "I will be back later tonight, or today! Good luck Wolfpaw."

"At least she remembered my name." Wolfpaw murmured sadly, another emotional swing.

Sad, angry, happy, three basic emotions that seemed to be playing leapfrog with her. It infuriated her! Then it would sadden her, but she would pull through and put on a happy face, and thus yet become happy. A circle of emotions that ultimately confused the apprentice.

The mice were easily hunted and caught, then she hid them under a rock so when her mentor returned she would be ready to show her. Her mentor didn't come back though, in fact, no cat came near the pit. She was alone for the rest of the day, and the day after that.

Finally her mentor showed, and Wolfpaw tried to give her a furious gaze that ended in tears.

"Why didn't you come back?" She wailed, all the tears she had held back over the three moons spilled over.

Her mentor seemed taken aback. "Did-did I promise something?" She asked, truly shocked.

Wolfpaw continued to sniffle. "You said you would come back later that day and look over my prey. You gave me a task for once and I completed it effortlessly!" She cried. "You are like all those other cats, you aren't coming by as often, and it is leaf-fall, and leaf-bare is right around the corner. If it blizzards, will you all forget about me?" She cried up. "I don't even get the news anymore!" She ran to her den, her home. She didn't want it to be her home!

Once inside it she wailed to the ceiling and hit the walls with her paw pads, not risking her claws. but not caring it tore her healable skin. She didn't want this! The emotions, the forgetfulness of her clan, and the loneliness. It was all horrible, and she didn't deserve it! Not fair, not fair!

The words circled around her, taunting her, as she cried out her emotions. Not fair that Wolfpaw is alone. Not fair the Wolfpaw fell in the pit. Not fair that Softpaw was a horrible cat and was free to roam. Not fair she was a prisoner!

She let out another sob and finally passed out in the crisp lead-fall day.

Groggily she woke up with a raging headache and popped her head outside the den. She got a drink from the cold water that slightly burned her tongue, and cleaned herself slowly. Even if she was alone it didn't mean she had to look horrible.

Her sensitive ears picked up paws sending rocks tumbling into the pit. She turned her head and glared at the cat. Who was bothering her so late in the night?

It was Stormpaw.

"Is-is it true?" He whispered.

"What true?" She snapped. "I am at a disadvantage to hear rumors."

"Oh yeah." He mumbled and looked at his paws.

"Also speak up, my ears are good, but owls are better."

"Did you really turn into a beast today? Your mentor came stumbling into camp today, terrified. She claimed you grew to three times your size and had rage worse than a badger with a thorn in its paw. She also said your eyes began to glow faintly!" His eyes grew wide, as if to try and copy the tale.

She scoffed. "Oh great. I pour my heart out to her, and she turns me into a freak. Why should I tell you the truth?" She demanded.

"I promise not to turn it into something it's not. Doesn't seem right. You must be sad down there, even if you don't show it."

"That, and I have nothing to lose anyway, because I have already lost my mentor." She said bitterly. "The leader hasn't even visited yet."

"Shockstar?" He asked curiously.

She looked up bewildered. "Rockstar died? How, why! She was young and healthy!"

"She simply disappeared. Um, cats, actually kinda…" He seemed very reluctant to go on.

"Tell me!" She meowed. "I won't bite you, I can't."

He chuckled slightly. "True. Well, some superstitious cats, stupid ones like my sister, are saying you used your powers to lure her down to the pit and kill her."

"What idiocy!" She hissed.

"That's what I said!" He exclaimed. "Well, I have told you some things, so now you have to tell me the truth."

She nodded. "Ok, well in short, I threw a tantrum. I got pissed off that cats had stopped visiting me and all the emotions inside me spilled over. I told her how alone and sad I was, and now she is turning me into an angry pit-beast." She shrugged.

He hesitated, then spoke in a low voice. "I promise to never turn you into a beast, to me you will always be an innocent cat who happened to fall down,"

Something seemed to clear at her, and she purred for the first time in two moons. "Thank you, Stormpaw. If you want the real truth, come to me."

"When I can." He promised. "I have to go now, or I will be missed."

"Of course." She nodded vigorously and entered her den.

The next day she hummed her hours away as she skipped her usual workouts and herb memorization. She covered her den entrance for the coming leaf-bare with rocks and moss from old bedding. She also had an idea to skin a big rat she was lucky to catch. After skinning it and using its pelt for her bed she found that it had helped warm her during the night. The rocks and moss she was putting up in the entrance however was to block any snow that might come in.

When it was all done, she felt happy with the work that only took her a few hours. It was nice to do something besides memorize herbs and practice battle moves all day anyway. Maybe today she could just sleep and relax. A tiny cough escaped her, but she ignored it.

The sound of padding paws told her a cat was nearby.

"Hello, Wolfpaw." Shockstar asked loftily.

"Oh, hi Shockstar!" Wolfpaw gave her a grin.

"As the dying request of Rockstar I am to come here every new moon and ask you what you need and if you want us to help you find a way out." She sounded highly bored.

"I need a new herb set, my old one is crumbling away. I also need you to tell my mentor I passed the assessments she so lazily forgot about." Her voice grew bitter at the second request. "By the way, one of my friends came by and let slip a rumor. If you could please tell the clan I am not a pit-beast, I would be so thankful. Also no, I am coming to terms with my… Life." Wolfpaw informed.

"Simple requests, done and done. You will see me at the next new moon if the weather permits, if it doesn't I will be how ever many days late." She was off.

A while later as she enjoyed a mouse inside her den she heard a voice call for her. "Wolfpaw!"

Trotting out casually she looked up and spotted Snowswirl. "Yes?"

"I am sorry for spreading that horrid rumor about you. I was just so, scared. Don't know why either, so I blamed you." She looked down, ashamed.

The ice that was building up on her heart melted and she smiled softly. "Hey, that's ok. I shouldn't have taken my rough emotions out on you. I really did catch those five mice, but in the end I ate them because I got hungry."

"I believe you. You have passed both tests, congratulations. I think I will see about having you become a warrior." With a wink and a grin, she was off.

Excitement coursed through her veins, a warrior? Even in this StarClan forsaken pit? She let out a gleeful yell and raced around the pit, enjoying the feel of her strong muscles sending her to the fastest speeds possible. She might have been stuck in this pit, but she could still become a warrior.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya, foofers here. Um, so, there was a flunk up with chapter 2 & 3, but not it has been fixed! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: The Fury**

"No." Her blue eyes cold. "I will decide when she becomes a warrior."

"But, Shockstar!" Snowswirl gasped. "She surely deserves it. Not only can my apprentice hunt for herself, she has every herb memorize and every battle move memorized too! She also works as hard as any warrior, in her own way. Every day she memorizes herbs, does battle moves non-stop, and battle her own fight of sadness."

"All convincing and such, but no." Shockstar remained uncaring. "Before she becomes a warrior she has to pass my test."

"What is your test?" Snowswirl meowed. "I am positive my apprentice can pass it better than any other cat here."

"We will see." She sneered. "And I won't tell you. At the half-moon I will go to the pit, and I want no-one there. You are not to breath a word of this to anyone, got it? Not even your precious apprentice. Out!" Shockstar snarled.

Snowswirl scampered out with her ears laid flat in distress. Ever since Rockstar died the clan had been slowly changing, it had even effected herself. She blamed Shockstar for it, actually it was even before their late honorable leader died that Shockstar had began to spread her nasty rumors. The pit-beast, bah, her poor apprentice was no beast, but a trapped cat who deserved love and help.

"Wolfpaw! Hurry please, it is freezing out here!" A voice yanked her from her sleep.

Grumbling she exited her nice warm den and rat pelt. This cat better have a good reason for dragging her out on this freezing windy night! "Yeah?" She called over the wind.

It was Stormpaw once more, and he seemed devastated. "I came as soon as possible, I promise!" He meowed.

"I believe you, but you say you are in a hurry?" She was impatient.

"I came here in secret as soon as I could. I overheard the leader talking to your mentor, and Shockstar has a secret test for you! If your mentor doesn't visit you until the half-moon, it isn't her fault, the leader told her not to."

"What!" She yelled into the windy night. "A secret test, what about me becoming a warrior?"

"Not until you pass it, and please remember, no one but your mentor knows about this. I was never here ok?" He meowed.

She sighed. "Fine, now go get some sleep."

He nodded and left.

She climbed back into her den and passed out.

A half-moon passed and her anger returned faster than before. It was all directed at the new leader who had denied her, her warriors ceremony. It also grew with the threat of snow on the cold leaf-bare days. As the mice lessened and her hunger grew, that added to the anger pile and made it a triple threat of emotions spilling over.

It was cold and cloudy when the day finally came and Shockstar appeared. "Hello, Wolfpaw." She meowed lazily.

"Shockstar." She gritted her teeth.

"How are you down here?" She asked, taking her time.

Wolfpaw forced a kind smile. "Good. The mice come down here to take shelter from the wind, and it makes hunting easier. The stream doesn't seem to freeze either, despite being small. My den is warm. Can I become a warrior soon?"

"Soon, if you pass my test." Shockstar promised. "Just climb out of there."

"Ha, funny. You know I can't." Wolfpaw snapped.

"Yelling at your clan leader is unadvised." Shockstar narrowed her eyes. "My test is for you to climb out of the pit."

"You give me an impossible test!" Wolfpaw protested. "It would be easier to learn how to swim than climb those walls! And you know I can't learn to swim in here." She called up.

"You have failed then, have a happy life, alone and as an apprentice." Shockstar shrugged.

There were no words to describe the lava like rage that washed through her. It seemed to chase away even the cold as she let out a throat-ripping snarl at the surprised clan leader.

Shockstar took a back step. "Pit-beast!" She hissed and ran.

Wailing her rage she ran at the rock wall and tried to climb, with all effort she truly did. She wanted nothing more than to get out and take her anger out on that horrible she-cat. How dare that monstrous cat call her the beast? She wasn't a beast!

She stopped, or was she? She looked at her bloody paws, torn from her latest escape attempt. She had looked all over the pit in an attempt to escape, but couldn't find one way out. Now she had been reduced to this, a screeching, yelling, unreachable, beast. She had gone insane with hate.

Feeling sick at herself she entered her den, and did not go outside to even greet her sister who rarely visited her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Snapping**

It had been a week since the horrible visit from her "leader". It was time to get back to her daily activities, besides hunting. Not bothering to clean her pelt she got up and memorized her herbs inside the den. After that she exited and began to do her battle move practices.

Half-way through it she heard snickering above her. Whirling her large head around she glared at the snickering cat.

"Inform me kindly what is so funny." She hissed at none-other than Softpaw and a friend of hers that she did not know.

"You really do look like the pit-beast." She smirked. "I was right, you were wrong."

"Come down here and say that to my face!" Wolfpaw dared. Her yellow eyes burned with pure rage.

Softpaw stumbled back a bit. "Uh, no." She seemed to suddenly grow nervous, and Wolfpaw had no idea why.

"What, scared of the pit-beast?" Wolfpaw suddenly let out a low laugh. It felt good to scare her, let her feel the fear she used to when she slept alone for the first time!

"Just stay down in your pit, Wolfpaw!" Softpaw sneered. "Lets go, Frogpaw." She turned tail and ran, her brown tabby friend following.

"That's right, run!" She yelled at the fleeing she-cats. Anger and loneliness swamped her. What was she becoming?

She sat down and tried to remember the time before the pit. She had been young, kind, and happy. Brave, willing to sacrifice herself for the clan, willing to live in the pit for the rest of her life. When did she change? Was it when she was alone, because her friends had stopped visiting her altogether?

Wolfpaw did not know, all she knew now was that she was no longer the kind Wolfpaw of before. No longer was she the small cat who begged for some company, just one cat every day, now she was so angry she picked a fight with all who came near. What about Stormpaw?

He would hate her now.

She finished her battle practice, that she would never use, and ran around the pit quite a few times, more so than normal.

Her day passed as usual, though she was hungrier because it was leaf-bare. She got lucky once more and caught a fat rat and skinned that one too before eating its warm meet. With two rat pelts in the den she fell into a deep slumber.

_She trotted through misty woods. Woods? Not the ugly rocky pit! She let out a yowl of unfiltered joy and raced forward, loving the feeling of grass beneath her paws. It was so wonderful, it not being that horrible hard rock. She let her strong muscles propel her forward, farther, faster._

_She stopped short though, so she could stare at the stone before her. It was five times her height, and it was like a large quartz, but somewhat yellower. It made her its captive, she couldn't help but just stare at it. How long she stared at it in her dream, she had no idea, but the thing that snapped her out of her trance was a voice in her ear._

_"Accept it?"_

_"What?" She snapped, looking around like an untamed wild animal._

_"The power." It promised._

_"What power, the power to escape?" She asked eagerly._

_"The glow."_

_She began to grow frustrated. "What glow? Yes, it is glowing yellow." She told the bodiless voice._

_"Has power."_

_"This is getting no where. If I accept it can I escape?" She growled._

_"Never escape the demons."_

She awoke with no memories of the dream, but feeling slightly annoyed. being annoyed was usual for her though, everything annoyed her now, everything angered her. She got up and realized it was still night time, and snowing faintly. She knew it wouldn't stick, but it would be enough to drive her already scarce prey underground.

Growling at nothing she exited the den and let the light cold breeze ruffle her ungroomed pelt. It had been ungroomed for a while now, but she couldn't bring herself to clean it, even out of boredom.

Mutterings around her pit alerted her and she hid in the shadows, not knowing why she felt the urge to hid. That was when the scent hit her nose, FeatherClans enemy, BoneClan! Most likely mounting an attack on her clan to! She resisted the urge to growl and reminded herself she could do nothing down there. As they walked around her pit a cat accidentally slipped in.

"Oh great." The cat who fell complained.

After some debating and discussion they decided to come back for him and help him out. Ha, the fools! They left him there and she watched him from the shadows, while he remained unaware and shivering.

It was time for some fun.

"No escape." She hissed and walked around him, sticking to the shadows her black pelt blended in with.

He jerked up. "What? Is anyone there?" When no one responded, he hunkered down again.

Minutes later she spoke again. "Stuck forever." She walked silently around him.

He looked around fearfully, but did not call out. She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from cackling.

Five minutes passed. "Death soon." She promised.

Looking around wildly he got up and began to pace, his fur bristling in fear. "Nothing is here!" He muttered to himself. "Stop being such a scaredy mouse, Whitebird!" His pure white pelt flashed in the dark as his green eyes darted to look everywhere at once.

Screeched in the distance from the battle grew closer for a while, then grew farther. They had always been there in the background, but as the yells are furious warriors grew smaller and the victory voices of FeatherClan grew strong her whimpered. Surely they would allow him to escape, right?

The battle that had started two hours after Moon high, ended at dawn. The patrols to make sure all had left came around the pit as the sun really began to shine.

"Hey look!" A bloody and bruised Grasspaw called out. "A cat is stuck in the pit!" He chuckled.

This struck her as strange, and she also hated it with every fiber of her being. Why was he laughing?

"He seems fine, which is odd." Talonscar commented as she trotted up.

Whitebird glared up at them. "Why is that odd?" He chattered. "Because it is so bloody cold out?"

"No," Softpaw laughed, walking up. "Because the pit-beast lives down there!"

He looked around, wide-eyed. "Pit-beast?" He whimpered.

Grasspaw scoffed. "Come off it, Wolfpaw is just a cat."

"No she isn't, Grassheart, the last time I saw her, I swear her eyes glowed!" Softpaw meowed. "She grew to like, twice her size! She is so a pit-beast."

He growled. "She was a cat when she fell in. She just has changed."

"Into a pit-beast!" Talonscar insisted. "Haven't you heard the stories about her? Some cats say if you listen closely, sometimes you can hear her wailing."

Wolfpaw snarled. "I am right here, you insensitive jerks!" She came from the shadows, and even Grassheart seemed terrified. She whirled her head in his direction. "They made you a warrior? Congratulations."

"Th-thanks." He stammered.

"Shockstar refuses to make me one because I can't escape this StarClan cursed area, but, no biggie right?" She let out a hollow laugh.

Whitebird seemed terrified of her though, he shrunk before her eyes. The full grown male warrior was terrified, of her! It made her grin viciously, time for him to feel her pain.

Grassheart shook his head. "I don't believe that, and we should get out fantastic leader to deal with this cat." He flicked his tail and they walked off.

Minutes later a happy Shockstar appeared with Jayspot.

"Wolfpaw, ready to serve your clan?"

Somewhat caught off-guard she automatically answered. "Yes!"

"How precious. See that enemy right there?" She asked. Wolfpaw nodded. "Kill him. You constantly practice those moves, why not put them to good use?"

She froze, kill a cat? She glanced at him, and he got in a battle ready position.

"I see you need some time to let this sink in." She meowed. "Come deputy, lets leave the pit-beast to kill." She flicked her tail and walked off, Jayspot following.

Whitebird snarled. "Pit-beast eh? I can see why! Ungroomed fur and glowing yellow eyes. Muttering death warnings in my ear. I am not scared!"

He was though, she could clearly see it, but what he said hurt. "I'm not a beast…" She murmured.

"Yes you are." Whitebird insisted. "Your clanmates say so, and you certainly look the part! Come at me beast!" He dared.

Some snapped in her, as his hateful words pierced her. Fine, he wanted a beast, he could face one! She shrieked her fury and lunged at him with lightning speed. A few whacks with her strong paws and he was sent fox-lengths away. When she went to continue her attack though, he was ready.

He ducked and dodged her moves, but after days, weeks, and moons, of just practicing battle moves, she was able to keep up even if she wasn't used to battle with others. Every mistake he made was her advantage too, every time he fumbled she landed a quick, yet deep claw mark.

When she finally had him pinned she showed him no mercy for his horrific words. "You asked for the beast!" She yelled as her long claws tore through his stomach fur, and her front paws dug deeply into his shoulders.

He cried out in pain. "Mercy!" The words gurgled from a lightly cut throat.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the life giving limb. She sunk her sharp fangs into his neck and his life was ended quickly. That was her mercy, to kill him just like that. She got off the bloody body and found it wasn't that hard to kill him, she didn't have any moral dilemmas. Heck, she even liked it a little.

She was in power when she had killed him, and she was the one who called the shoots on when he lived and when he died. Then there was the fantastic feeling of his life seeping away from him, she felt his pulse stop as she killed him. It sent an unreal rush through her, and she loved it!

She checked her own wounds and found she had only a few scratches. She lazily entered her den and applied the first marigold leaves she had ever gotten. They were old and wrinkled, probably beyond much use, but she was certain that if she added water she could spread the paste enough to cover all her scratches.

After applying the paste she put on cobwebs, cleaned her pelt of blood, and fell into a deep slumber. Her dreams were filled with blood and fighting cats.

"Wake up Wolfpaw!" A voice yelled at her.

She jolted awake and walked outside her den, what did this cat want? She wondered grumpily.

"Oh dear StarClan." Came Stormpaw's horrified voice. "Why, why did you kill him? Why are you turning into a beast?" He demanded.

"Not my fault." She shrugged. "Everyone kept saying I was a beast, even him. I gave them what they wanted. They want a pit-beast, they can have one." She blinked at the morning sky, her eyes void of regret or any other emotion. "Sides, there is barely enough food down here for me. No way would there have been enough for him too. I mean, have you seen my ribs?" She demanded.

"I can't see anything under you matted pelt, please wash it." He meowed.

Something seemed to change slightly in her as he used a kind voice to make a reasonable command. "I washed it last night though, look, no blood." She said, slightly confused.

"Now clean out the burs, and make it straight." He suggested. "Listen, if you are as skinny as you claim, I will be back here as soon as possible. If you are making a true effort to clean your pelt, then I think it would be nice to share a rabbit with you." He grew slightly embarrassed and was off.

Almost in a trance like state she washed her pelt. It took a while but she cleaned it of burs and smoothed it down. Soon it shone like a ravens feather in the sun. It seemed to affect her emotions too, as it made her feel lighter, and happier.

He came back true to his word, and she almost cried. No one had done that in how long? Since she had first fallen into the pit! She eagerly ran up to meet him.

He dropped to fat rabbit legs into the pit and she eagerly began to eat them.

"Thanks." She meowed as she chowed down.

"You're welcome. I like your pelt a lot better clean." He added the last part quickly.

She purred. "It does feel nicer." She admitted.

It felt glorious, some cat being nice to her for once. It made her feel younger too, even though she was still a young cat. She swore she had not purred so much in three moons combined. Sadly, after a while he had been forced to leave due to the cold.

Leaf-bare went on for two more moons and it was quite eventful with the war going on and BoneClan cats "falling" into her pit. She suspected that FeatherClan cats had been pushing them in though, because the few times that they had visited, save for Stormpaw, they always goaded her to be more vicious. Stormpaw oddly asked her to be nicer, and she was, but to him alone.

He made an effort to sneak out to visit her, and tried to explain to her that he had to sneak around because the clan had changed. He didn't want them to know about him visiting her because they could ruin their friendship. Everytime he said friendship she felt an odd ping of sadness, but it was easy to push aside.

The war ended in new-leaf, and at the end of it she had killed six cats that had dropped into her pit, and sadly, only two of them had put up a true fight.

She found herself sinking faster into rage that would sprout up from nowhere, and only Stormpaw could calm it. Stormpaw was not always there though, and other cats were at times. Even her sister and brother urged her to kill all that fell into her pit. Oh yes, cats were now saying that she owned the pit, it was her territory.

And soon her world had been consumed, the pit was her world now, she knew not of politics outside it, and though she did her best to keep her mental knowledge up to date she began to slip. The thing that would break it for good would also be the thing that would end the bloody war between the clans. It was close to ending, but not quite there yet.

With all of that, on top of it she continued to dream of the strange misty woods, whispering voices, the yellow glowing rock, and demons. The demons spoke to her through those voices.

"Wolfpaw, come on out. We have one last kill for you." Shockstar meowed.

She walked out, muscle rippled under a smooth pelt and yellow eyes glared at all nearby. She heard the whisperings, and not just those of the clan cats, but the demons who were now claiming here. The demons whispered that today, she was theirs, they told her in last nights dream.

The mist had turned red, and the stone glowed with malice that she now pulsed with. She fed off the fear of others, and their violent tendencies. She still ate mice, but nothing motivated her like the blood of the fallen, and the fear they felt before she killed them. Ah, the wonderful feeling of flesh slicing and tearing beneath her jagged claws!

"Yes?" She growled in her deep voice. She no longer obeyed them, though they did not know that. She killed for her own twisted pleasure.

"Today, you end a war and unite the two clans of FeatherClan and BoneClan!" She announced.

Apparently war made Shockstar feel alive too, her and the cats of FeatherClan. They all looked young and healthy while the sickly BoneClan cats around them were skinny and pathetic seeming.

"How so, why should I end your war?" Wolfpaw snorted. _You still won't give me my warrior name!_ She added the last part silently.

"Because it involves the only thing you take pleasure in. Killing." She pushed a black and white tom with yellow eyes into her pit, and he landed with a painful thud. He was tiny, and young, but seemed healthier than the other BoneClan cats. "Kill the newest leader of BoneClan, he hasn't even named a deputy yet." She hissed. "Kill Flightstar."

She looked up with furious yellow eyes. Of course she would kill, she lived for the kill now! She loved death, it was her only clanmate down in the pit! Death and… Her eyes flinted, found Stormpaw, and melted. He, the only cat who cared for her. She would get this over with, and they could continue to hang out like old times. It would be nice.

Stormpaw didn't seem to think so though, because when their eyes meet he shook his head no. Confused she looked at the whimpering cat before her, and her rage returned. The only ones she served now were the demons, and they commanded her to kill this weakling!

She snarled. "Yes, my only pleasure."

He did not fight like the weakling he acted to be though, and this drove her on, made her happy. A challenge! She ducked his claws, and sent her own paw out straight into his stomach, and a gush of warm sticky blood was her reward. It felt nice on her leaf-bare cold body. It almost matched the warmth of her hatred for him, even if she didn't know him!

After much mauling of the cat before her she got off and began to lick her pelt clean. The cats sat still though, and suddenly something rammed into her back. She had forgotten he was a newly made leader, and came back!

Roaring with anger she flipped from her side onto her back and delivered a blow to his head so fierce he was knocked off and flew a fox-length away. She would end it quickly and dance in his blood! Screeching murder she pinned him and raked his stomach to nothing.

Make sure he would stay dead she put a large paw on his throat and crushed it into the ground. Her paws were used to walking on rocks and hard ground, his throat was squashy and reminded her of grass after it was rained on. Or like the grass in the demons forest.

"I'm walking on grass!" She giggled to herself hysterically.

Looking up with frantic eyes she searched the crowd, expecting Stormpaw to be there, and like his clanmates, cheering. He wasn't there though, he seemed to have disappeared. Slightly disappointed she got off the dead body, kicked it, and dragged it to the disgusting rotting pile in the corner.

"Your war is won, I demand something in return now." She called up coldly to the clan leader. "You have dealt with a demon, now pay its price."

Shockstar seemed alarmed, but answered in a calm laughing voice. "Yes, oh so great demon, what might your price be?" She laughed nervously.

Cats stopped cheering and began to murmur something about yellow glowing eyes. Yes her eyes were yellow, but they didn't glow. "My warrior name!" She screeched and stomped a bloody paw.

Shockstar laughed coldly. "No. Not until you escape, and just because you played a big part in winning this does not mean I will change the rules I originally set. Besides pit-beast, you are just that. Not an honorable warrior, but a bloody killer." She turned her back on the pit. "BoneClan is no more! You are now apart of FeatherClan, and BoneClan, this is the beast. If you upset me, you upset her, and she deals in worse things than I. She is a demon, she has said so herself, and if you upset this earth bound demon, you know you will die." She suddenly turned cheerful. "Now lets go back to camp and celebrate!" She purred and the cats raced off.

Again she wailed everything to the darkening sky. Her anger, her grief, her confusion, and all inbetween. Where was Stormpaw at the end anyway, and why had he left her to the demons! They whispered in her mind and promised no escape, just power. What if she traded all that power for escape though? They did not respect that.

Suddenly he was there, and her sanity that was quickly slipping away, was anchored for a short while.

"Why, Wolfpaw, why?" His voice cracked with sadness.

"Stormpaw!" She yipped and ran up to the edge like an eager dog, or wolf that she was named after.

"Stormstone." He corrected her dully.

"Congratulations, you are the only one who deserves the name." She sniffed.

"I know." His voice grew hard and hollow, which confused her greatly. "But back to my original questions, why?"

"Why what?" Now she was really bewildered.

"Why did you kill him, and why in such a horrific way?" He asked.

"Because she is right." Wolfpaw growled. "Shockstar is right in that my only true pleasure in this world, the world of the pit, is killing. Well, killing, and you. The only cat who is actually nice to me." She purred.

"This can't continue. You can't continue killing. I am not asking this time." He meowed, blue eyes depressed.

"What, why? I have to though, if I don't, they stay in my territory. You, the demons, are the only ones who stay with me, but the demons are here more often than you. They won't stop pestering me until I kill them, I have to kill them!" She cried.

"Those aren't demons." He murmured. "It is all you. Wolfpaw, I will come back to you when you have changed. Everyday I shall watch you closer than StarClan-"

"Who has abandoned me to the demons." She muttered.

He continued. "Closer than StarClan, and when I see your change, I shall be there. But hey, maybe you will come to me? I can't- can't." He seemed to choke on his own words. "With a cat so, beastial. Just remember, you don't have to be the pit-beast, the demon, the killer. You can be honorable, a true warrior, kind like you once were." Tears streaked down his muzzle.

"Why, why hurt yourself, why hurt me?" She demanded.

"I don't want to, but I must." He sobbed and ran off.

"My Stormstone, my boulder in the whirlwind of confusion." She whispered as he disappeared from view, perhaps forever. She could never change, never escape, and never go back.


End file.
